Initial Thoughts

Honestly I was a little unsure of what to expect when I arrived to Florence, however, knowing that generally the EU tends to be more progressive than we are when it comes to climate change and sustainability I expected to see some contrast differences between here and the U.S. Based on many of the presentations from my fellow classmates I was able to get a preconceived idea of some of what to expect. It was actually really cool to see many of the sustainable movements Italy is making to help combat climate change and become more sustainable. It was exciting to see sustainability throughout the city.

In the city there were various recycling bins that allowed for a wide range of recycling, they were huge! In addition, being able to see how heavy local grocery and markets rely on local food sources confirmed my preconceived notion that Italy relied off of local farming for many of their products. Growing up on a farm myself I was able to have a greater appreciation for this and was not disappointed whatsoever in their ability to farm in a sustainable manner. I am really impressed with Florence so far and hope to learn more about their sustainable farming as well as sustainable cooking!

-- N.M.